Sale helps benefit Turning Pointe Autism Foundation
By David Sharos For The Sun January 26, 2013 2:52PM
Lynn and Scott Thielsen of Naperville show a picture they bought. | Submitted
Updated: March 1, 2013 7:12AM
Talk about a win-win. Folks in and around Naperville got the chance to go shopping recently for furniture and home decorating accessories knowing that they’d be getting a great deal and helping a not-for-profit group in the process.
The Turning Pointe Autism Foundation held a moving sale Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. in order to get ready to occupy its new state-of-the-art location that will open next month at 1500 W. Ogden Ave. The sale included everything from beds and tables to Wii games, décor items and accessories.
Business manager Barb Brauer explained that those shopping Saturday needn’t worry about going home empty handed if the price wasn’t right.
“We think everything here is priced to sell, but we’ll certainly listen to any fair offer,” Brauer said. “We probably sold about 10 percent of our merchandise in the first hour, and we’re hoping we’ll continue to get more customers.”
By noon, volunteers estimated more than half of the merchandise was gone. Saturday’s sale was not a rummage or garage sale affair. Brauer said that all of the merchandise and artwork was new, and was donated by the owner of a model home that an individual had purchased from a builder in Naperville.
“That builder went out of business and when the owner bought his model home, he donated all the items that were used to decorate it,” Brauer said. “All of these items are new, so people are getting some great deals.”
Director of development Lauren Visher said the goal of Saturday’s sale, which was held in the café of the new building, “was to have everything gone by the end of the day.”
“I can’t say we have a goal money-wise,” she said. “It’s more about having a couple rooms’ worth of things sold and giving it a good, new home. If everything is gone and we walk away with $2,000, that’s fine.”
The event was staffed with a number of volunteers including Joyce Browne of Naperville, who said she has a daughter that is a senior at Naperville North High School.
“My daughter is autistic, and I wanted to get involved with this organization,” Browne said. “I see this as something that is part of the fabric of the community that fills a need and provides a resource.”
Browne said the fun part of working Saturday was seeing people “finding a treasure they didn’t expect and at a great price.”
Scott and Lynn Thielsen of Naperville did just that, as the couple walked away with a picture they plan to use in their kitchen.
“We’re doing some things in our kitchen and this picture fits with the theme we are working on,” Lynn said. “We thrilled we found something and like that this supports a good cause.”
Naperville’s Rachel Kiman and her husband, Arnold, brought along their two young children who each left with toys. Rachel said they decided to drop byt after her husband noticed the signs posted along Ogden Avenue.
“The prices here are good, and I often buy things at the Goodwill store, so to get items that are new is nice,” she said. “There is a hutch we’re looking to buy here, but we have to go home and take some measurements.”
Aurora’s Alan Reyes, who said he just returned from a deployment with the National Guard, found a roller coaster toy for his daughter Arabella.
“We just moved here to the area and I was just looking around for things,” Reyes said. “This sale was a pleasant surprise.”
